I didn’t want to stay in a typical international hotel like the Hilton or Sheraton, so I chose a Chinese business hotel, the Central Hotel. I absolutely love it – very 1990s Vegas décor with lots of shiny brass and bright lights.
By the time our flight landed in Shanghai and we took the train into the city, the sun was setting. We headed out to Nanjing Road, one of the most famous pedestrian shopping roads in the world. It’s Golden Week, a national holiday, so the city is full of Chinese tourists. Many who live in large cities head to the countryside and those in the country travel to large cities for the holiday. We walked along the Bund, the waterfront area along the Huangpu River with beautiful colonial-era architecture. The Bund has gorgeous views of Puxi, the futuristic skyline across the river.
Wi-Fi service has been good, but websites such as Google, Facebook, and CNN are blocked. We texted friends at home using iPhone messenger, but it ended abruptly when we mentioned Facebook.
Nanjing Road
Puxi skyline
The Bund